The invention concerns a sliding door with at least one panel coupled to a drive mechanism powered by a braked motor by way of an electromagnetic clutch, whereby the panel or panels is or are also connected to an auxiliary drive mechanism activated by its or their closing. As long as no current flows through the electromagnetic clutch, the panels can be opened with the auxiliary drive mechanism, and additional self-monitoring electronic controls that constitute a safety module accompany the regular controls, which are activated by an automatic switch.
A sliding door with two panels is described in German Patent Application P 3 915 241. It includes mechanisms for activating an electromagnetic clutch, for automatically monitoring whether the panels are opening safely, and for self-diagnosing the controls and components. The object of the present invention is to ensure that such doors, especially when they are installed in public buildings, will operate reliably and will in particular open in an emergency or when the door-activating system fails. Furthermore, the door is to be monitored to ensure that it is opening in response to an opening pulse emitted by a motion sensor, and the controls must ensure a self-activated operational test on the part of the auxiliary drive mechanism. In addition, both the monitoring of the door to ensure that it is opening in response to an opening pulse emitted by the motion sensor and the controls' ensurance of a self-activated operational test on the part of the auxiliary drive mechanism must be inherently reliable. An alarm must be emitted when the door encounters an obstacle and, once the obstacle has been removed, a operational test must be executed automatically. In the event of a power failure and when the doorway is employed as a route of escape or rescue, opening by means of the auxiliary drive mechanism must be ensured, and here again the door must automatically undergo self-testing once power is restored.